To coincide with this Sunday’s Late Set Radio Hour (airing Sunday at 8 p.m. ET) we’re reposting our interview with Gary Bartz. More on The Late Set Radio Hour here: wrti.org/the-late-set-radio-hour

Gary Bartz turned 85 this fall, and has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, he released his first studio album in more than a decade: Damage Control, a riff on classic soul from Curtis Mayfield, Earth Wind & Fire and others, played by his band Ntu.

Our interview was taped in Brooklyn during the 2024 Winter Jazzfest featuring the original Late Set hosts Nate Chinen and Greg Bryant. The conversation spans Bartz’s apprenticeship years (with everyone from Max to Mingus to Miles), his journeyman period (notably at the helm of Ntu Troop), and his master eminence as a 2024 NEA Jazz Master. The man who gave us “Music is My Sanctuary” is still out along the front line with insights to share.

More to explore:

NEA: arts.gov/honors/jazz/gary-bartz

NPR: npr.org/2022/06/23/1106723714...

KQED: kqed.org/arts/13935159/8-over-80-gary-bartz

More on the 2026 Winter Jazz Fest: winterjazzfest.com

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